“Can I have a drink?” Andrew asked in a raspy, deep voice that he didn’t recognize as his own.
Madison stared at this perfect specimen of a man before her. As he flicked the ashes from his cigarette she noticed that he had another tattoo, this one on his forearm. It was spectacular, to say the least, and went from his wrist up past the joint where his arm bent. It was not a sleeve though. She didn’t know a lot about tattoos but she knew a sleeve went all the way around and this one didn’t because she hadn’t noticed it when his back was to her. No, she knew this was something else. It appeared to be some form of a bird coming out of flames, a phoenix perhaps. She blinked as she followed the tattoo up his arm and to his face. He had at least a day’s worth of stubble, masking what she could tell was a fantastic jaw line. His eyes were a striking green, with little specks of gold in them. Perhaps it was the light reflecting off the trailer that made them appear this way but, whatever it was, they were hypnotic. They were made even more striking compared to his dark, almost black hair and pale skin. His nose was only slightly crooked, like maybe he had been in a fight or two. His lips were red and moist, and his expressive brows begged for an answer to his earlier question.
Madison reflexively swallowed, trying to contain her mounting desire for this stranger, something that rarely happened with her. She inhaled sharply, gaining momentary control of her senses as she remembered that she was from New York, and not just New York, but Long Island, and LI girls weren’t afraid of anything. Madison mustered up every ounce of East Coast courage she had within her and smirked at him as she slowly removed her glasses in hopes of getting a clearer vision of his stunning masculine beauty.
“What will I get in return?” Madison queried with a flirtatious undertone to her voice.
Andrew was floored by her boldness, causing his lips to twitch into a crooked smile that quickly set Madison’s heart on fire.
“That depends, darlin’,” Andrew replied as he languidly brought his cigarette back to his mouth.
He drew in a couple of long slow drags before finally flicking the butt away from the trailer, stepping on it with the sole of his flip flops. Madison glanced at his feet and wondered why it was that even this man’s feet seemed to be perfect. She lifted her eyes again and watched, entranced by his every move and paying special attention to his mouth. His lips parted and puckered slightly as the smoke exhaled between his lips. Why she was suddenly acting like a 15-year-old school girl, hot for the new guy, she wasn’t sure, but she clearly felt a strong desire to have him.
Andrew himself was feeling a stirring in his body that he hadn’t felt in years. Realizing that his hands were still dirty from changing the tire, he quickly wiped his greasy palms across his denim clad thighs and waited on her response. Madison dropped her gaze and followed his long, greasy fingers as they swiped and gripped his thighs. Her body soon began to pebble at the mere thought of his hands on her. She swallowed, quickly swiping her tongue across her dry lips and hoping that the trembling in her body would soon subside. This is ridiculous, get a hold of yourself, woman! She chided herself internally.
The sound of him coughing loudly caused her to break from her spell as she raised her eyes to slowly meet his. It did not go unnoticed by her that his eyes were now a shade darker than she remembered only a few moments ago. She now felt a heat arising from within her that was not being caused by the blistering sun. Madison took another quick breath trying to regain her equilibrium as well as her courage. She playfully patted the soft blanket next to her.
“Would you like to sit?” she asked him, watching as his eyes twinkled in delight.
“Hell yes!” Andrew smiled, pulling his cigarettes out of his back pocket and dropping them beside her. He then hopped onto the blanket, not believing his luck.
She passed him a cold beer from the cooler and watched as he nodded, cracked it open, and lifted it to his lips. Andrew gulped the cooling nectar but all that Madison could see was the bobbing of his Adam’s apple as it moved up and down in a rhythm of its own. Mesmerized by the way his tongue traced across his lips after each swallow, she could feel herself becoming aroused in ways she never expected. She was completely drawn to him, to his lips, and the desire to feel them pressed against hers.
“You're from New York?” Andrew asked, as he swallowed the rest of his beer.
Madison blinked several times, thankful for the change of subject.
“Ummm, yeah, I work for a large accounting firm out there. Well, I did, at least.”
Madison could feel her brows furrow at the thought of what she left behind. What she gave up because her mom hadn’t been willing to give up her own life. Her mind couldn’t help but wander to nearly a month ago and the argument she and her mother had had about her grandmother’s care. It was what had led her to this time and place right now.
Andrew watched as Madison got a faraway look on her face and her brows moved closer together. Without thinking, he placed his finger between them, touching her lightly and making her gasp. He quickly withdrew his hand, shaking his head at his idiocy.
“Thanks for the beer but I should really go,” Andrew said quickly, standing up, anxious to get away before he did anything else.
There was something about her that made him nervous. He didn’t trust himself in her presence. It was as if all the boundaries he had put in place so long ago to protect himself were being pushed away without his consent. She made him feel like a man, like a normal man, with no baggage. He was desperate to leave, to give himself some distance from this bewitching woman. That was his only solution at this point. He quickly reached his hand down to grab the cigarettes that were lying next to her.
“Hey wait!” Madison said, placing her hand on his.
She felt her heart flutter. She wasn’t the type of girl that fell easily. In fact, one could say she never fell at all. She didn’t generally trust people, something she liked to blame her mother for. She kept her relationships, for lack of a better word, void of emotional commitment, so the fact that she was feeling something for this stranger, aside from simply wanting to have sex with him, which of course she strongly desired as well, was throwing her off guard.
“What’s your name?” she stuttered out, trying to gain her composure.
He smirked and looked down slightly, drawing his bottom lip into his mouth. He looked like he was contemplating something as he sat back down and leaned against the trailer. Madison was again captivated by his very presence. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him and internally she knew she needed more from him. After a few moments, Andrew looked over to her and smiled, and from her angle it appeared that she was indeed looking at an angel, or quite possibly the devil disguised as one.
“Andrew,” he said simply.
Madison nodded her head, unsure if she was capable of forming any words at that particular moment in time.
“My name’s Madison,” she finally expelled quickly.
“That’s a… pretty name,” he said softly.
Andrew closed his eyes, slightly flustered. He had always been able to talk to women. It was an art that he had perfected while on the streets, yet here he was stumbling over his words. What was happening to him? He breathed out deeply as she smiled widely at him.
“I was headed to the lake. Would you like to tag along?” she asked with an air of playfulness in her voice.
Madison immediately chided herself internally for being so forward but it was too late now. The cards were already on the table. Andrew stood up completely, breaking their connection and stared at the beauty before him. He wondered if it was a good idea to be so close to her and whether she would even want him to be so close if she really knew him and what he had done, what he had been imprisoned for. Unfortunately for Andrew, his body spoke for him before his brain had a chance to intervene.
“I'd like that,” he heard himself say.
Madison smiled victoriously and pushed herself up and off the ground. “Come on, Andrew. Let’s get the hell ou
t of here!”
He shook his head again, grinning wildly as he reached down to pick up the cooler. He knew that going with her was likely a mistake but a part of him was pushing him forward nonetheless. What could go wrong? He wondered and then thought nervously, everything.
2 OVER MY HEAD
Madison couldn’t believe what she had done but there was no turning back now. This incredibly hot man was clearly interested in her and she planned on taking full advantage of that. It had been a long time since she had those feelings for someone, that all-consuming desire to be with them and to feel them near you at any cost. Although she was perfectly capable of satisfying her own needs when the mood arose, she was more than willing to allow someone else to take over. Could that someone be Andrew? She wasn’t sure, but what she was sure about was that her desire for him was stronger than anything she had ever felt before. Where that took her, she would just have to wait and see.
Andrew watched as she adjusted her shorts and shirt, and as she did so her shorts rode up just a little, revealing a tad of her sumptuous backside. His mouth parted as he once again readjusted himself, hoping to God that she would not notice his raging hard on. The sound of her bracelets clinking together caused him to shake his head and get some kind of control over himself. Only a city girl would wear jewelry to the lake, he thought, grinning slightly. As he continued to watch her, it was becoming abundantly clear that he was likely in over his head with this girl. He was enflamed with want and yearning and that scared the hell out of him.
As he gained momentary control of the cloud of longing he had for her, he realized that in his haste to accept her invitation that he didn't have any swim shorts on him which meant he would need to go to the house before heading out. He briefly wondered if his aunt was still home and what she would say about the situation. As they approached her vehicle, he cleared his throat.
“We need to swing by my aunt and uncles place so I can grab my shorts,” he said as he set the cooler in the backseat.
“Oh sure, absolutely. I wouldn’t want you to have to swim in the nude or anything,” she replied with the playfulness that he already loved immensely. She walked around to the driver’s seat and slipped inside, giggling at her wittiness.
“Pop the trunk so I can put away your jack.”
She did so and watched him load up her jack and flat tire. She would need to get that fixed sometime soon. When he was done he approached her side of the car. Andrew smiled and leaned into the open car window. He stared at her, giving her a penetrating gaze as he tried to steady his belief that being with her was indeed a good thing to do. For Madison, it was as if she were swept into a sea of blissful contentment. His eyes entranced her as they seemed to change colors depending on how the sun hit his face. Right now they seemed to be blue, while earlier they appeared to be green. Either way, she was mesmerized by them, lost in the hurt and desire she saw reflected at her. She recognized immediately that she was in over her head.
“Follow me, beautiful.” His voice melted the hot air. She longed to hear it whispered to her in the throes of passion.
“Anywhere,” Madison heard herself say in a small and timid voice.
Andrew grinned again and tapped the open window frame with his long fingers before he abruptly stood, walking towards a motorcycle just a few feet away. Wait! When did that get here? Madison looked at him, stunned when he threw his leg over the seat and cranked the motor. The seat shimmied slightly from the vibration of the bike which made his shirt rustle up, exposing his lower back again and the top of his boxer briefs. Madison sat dumbfounded as she watched him maneuver in front of her car, and as he passed her window he looked over his shoulder and winked. She sat there like a gaping fool before turning her key in the ignition, having completely forgotten that the car was already running. She looked down, shaking her head, and just as she brought her eyes back up, she saw him chuckle right before a cloud of dust flew up in front of her. She quickly put her car in gear and followed through the dusty trail he left behind, realizing, without a doubt, that she would indeed follow him anywhere.
Andrew glanced back after he passed her just to make sure she was still following him and that she hadn’t already changed her mind about him tagging along. When he saw her watching him with her lips slightly parted he couldn’t help himself, he winked and then laughed again as he blew ahead of her. He glanced back a second time and was pleased to see her keeping a good distance behind him. He was thankful that she wasn’t one of those people that didn’t care about riders and followed too closely. He couldn’t help but allow his mind to fantasize about Madison sitting on the back of his Harley, holding onto him tightly as they made their way over the many desert roads only to find a nice shaded spot to make love under. He quickly shook his head, angry at the wayward thoughts that she was eliciting.
Andrew took a deep breath as he pulled up to his aunt and uncle’s modular house. It wasn’t much to look at from the outside but the inside was very nice. Nicer than most of the places he had ever stayed in. He switched his bike off and quickly walked inside, tossing his keys on the table near the door. His aunt looked up as he walked in, thinking he looked somehow happier than she was used to seeing him.
“Did you get it taken care of, Andrew?” she asked as she looked back down at her magazine.
“Yeah, it’s good, Auntie. Hey, Madison asked me to go to the lake with her so I am gonna head out. I don’t know what time I will be home,” Andrew quickly said, making his way to his room to fetch his swim trunks.
When he turned around he saw her at his door, a concerned and worried expression on her normally jovial face. He understood her concern but he was a grown man and really didn’t need permission. Well, technically he did need permission but not from her. But as he thought about it, going to the lake was not against his parole, so really he was free to do what he wanted. Well, technically he wasn’t truly free either. He sighed at the complexity of his life.
“Do you think that’s a good idea, Andrew?” she asked, a tenor of nervousness coming through her tone.
“Probably not, but...” He hesitated and then took another long breath as he shoved a pair of board shorts into his pocket. “I like her. She’s nice.”
Olivia watched him carefully. He had always struggled. His entire life had been filled with chaos and despair. Her sister, Kimberly, hadn’t exactly been the maternal type and Andrew Senior had been a disaster from the start. The two of them together was a nightmare waiting to happen. Being so far from Chicago, she didn’t know the struggles that Andrew had gone through and by the time she did find out, it was too late. He was not interested in help from any of them. She had always regretted not intervening earlier on, not taking him away sooner. She often wondered if she had, would his fate have changed. Of course, she would never know the answer to that.
When he was eligible for parole a few years ago she had not hesitated at all in asking him to stay with them. It was the least she could do but she never felt it was quite enough to make up for his childhood. She had initially worried that her husband, Aaron, wouldn’t understand but, as usual, she had underestimated his level of compassion. Aaron had done his best to develop a relationship with Andrew, to be a father figure of sorts, but Andrew kept him at a distance. She understood why he didn’t trust anyone but it hurt her just the same.
As Olivia watched her nephew give her that lost little boy look, she was filled once again with remorse. Why did I write Kimberly off? She was consumed with guilt and had an overwhelming desire to have Andrew know love, to know what it felt like to depend on someone, truly and unequivocally. She didn’t know Grandma Downing’s granddaughter at all but if she could put a smile on Andrew’s normally melancholy face then she couldn’t be too bad. She let out a soft breath as she offered him a small smile.
“Be careful, Andrew.”
“I will,” he said, kissing her on the forehead before he passed through the door.
Olivia stood there, watching him leave. �
��Please Lord, watch over him and help him to make good choices today and please don’t let this girl break his heart. He has already been through so much.”
She closed her eyes, feeling moisture in the corners, before she walked back to the couch and picked up her magazine, catching up on the latest Hollywood gossip and trying to forget all the bad things that had happened in her nephew’s life. She had sincerely hoped that when he came to them that he could start a new life for himself, maybe this was that start.
Madison anxiously tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for him to come out of the house. She glanced back at his motorcycle, imagining riding on it with him, her hands resting on his waist and locking right at his abdomen. It wasn’t one of those big bikes so she would need to move real close to him, close enough so that her breasts would touch his back and her head could rest on his strong, wide shoulders. She shook her head. She needed to focus on controlling her desire. Had it really been that long since she had a man look at her the way he did? Had she ever had a man look at her like that, full of carnal want and need? She couldn’t actually remember a time where that was true. She knew Kurtis cared about her. Well, cared is too strong of a word. He wanted her but she didn’t share the sentiment. This man, however, was already making her feel like some sort of cat in heat, sticking her tail up and begging him to mount her. If she was this aroused already, she seriously worried how she would respond to seeing him in his swim trunks. Just then, the door of the house swung open and he smiled at her, casually strolling up to the car and sliding inside. Madison watched him, suddenly nervous. Picking up on her change in demeanor, Andrew questioned his decision to go but then she smiled at him and his heart started beating once again, until she peeled out of the trailer park like some kind of crazed woman on a mission.
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 2